lambeet



` presented to view.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

T. S. LAMBERT, OF PEEKSKILL, NEW YORK.

LETTER-ENVELOPE.

Specilcation forming part of' Letters Patent No. 46,9ll, dated March 21, 1865.

To allwhom it may concern Be it known that I, T. S. LAMBERT, of Peekskill, Westchester county, New York State, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sealing Letters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in providing atab or flap that can be attached to an \T letter or corresponding document, so that if it is properly folded its contents will be se-v cure from observation, and that may be readily stamped with the card of the proprietor, can be easily sundered when it is desirable, and if properly stamped will be torn at the opening ofthe letter across the postrofiice stamp.

To enable others skilled in the appropriate arts to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A, Figure 1, represents an ordinary halfsheet of letter-paper, the inner surface being' B U G represent a tab or iap of corresponding` paper attached by O G to the side of A. B l) D represent a tab of adifferent form attached to the under or front surface of A. F represents a postage-stamp printed upon the under surface of B. E rep-V resents a line of pcrforations, semi-pert'orations, or indentations, making` the place for opening a sealed letter or envelope and dividing the stamp. The portion of the sheet marked l should be first folded up, the part marked2 should then be folded in, followed by 3, when 4 should be brought up, and B of the tab brought down over and onto 4.

The tabs may be attached by gum or any equivalent material. Vhen the lower portion of the tab or iap is laid onto the front of the sheet, as represented by the dotted lines D D, it may have any form and may be embossed, &c.

The advantages of the above invention are that less paper is used in my construction than in the ordinary method, and also that the tabs or flaps will be convenient in eases and times when the ordinary method would not serve, and may be adapted to packages of various magnitudes.

By my method of folding, in combination with tabs or iiaps, not only is an observer prevented from seeing anything by lookin g in at the ends, but the contents cannot be read through the paper, even if thin, as the crossing and folding of the lines prevents any one from observing a line for its length or any considerable part of it. By the line of pierforations or semi-perforations or indentations the letter or an envelope is opened easily, and the edges of the letter will be left smooth for filing, &c. made near each other, a piece of the letter or flap can be removed very easily.

lf the Government should 'see fit to ha\e these tabs or aps postage'stamps could be s o used, as shown at F, that the stamps need not be obliterated in the usual way by the office, as the act of opening the letter would destroy the stamp, and thus much time would be saved in large offices.

What I claim as my improvement, and de# sire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Uonstructing a letter tab or iiap substantially as shown and described.

T. S. LAMBERT.

Witnesses:

J. H. PHILLIPs, G. A. (l. SMITH.

Two lines of indentations being 

